Site to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth. Discuss my quest to run the Boston Marathon while having CMT. Talk about training and doing marathons, half marathons, triathalons and duathalons. Discuss being an athlete with a disability.

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Monday, November 28, 2016

I like to make something special for game day. We have game day twice a week in Wisconsin, first for the Wisconsin Badger game and then for the Green Bay Packers. It has been exciting watching our Badgers this year. As I write this I am watching them battle Minnesota for the Paul Bunyan axe.
It is 46 F here today, great soup and football weather. This is the perfect soup to have while you watch your team play!

Put chicken stock in a stock pot. Add raw shrimp and cook on low heat until the shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from the broth, peel and set shrimp aside.

Add potatoes and corn to the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
Return the shrimp to the soup and add the half and half. Add the dried rosemary, salt and pepper.

Serves 4

*********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

I like to make something special for game day. We have game day twice a week in Wisconsin, first for the Wisconsin Badger game and then for the Green Bay Packers. It has been exciting watching our Badgers this year. As I write this I am watching them battle Minnesota for the Paul Bunyan axe.
It is 46 F here today, great soup and football weather. This is the perfect soup to have while you watch your team play!

Put chicken stock in a stock pot. Add raw shrimp and cook on low heat until the shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from the broth, peel and set shrimp aside.

Add potatoes and corn to the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
Return the shrimp to the soup and add the half and half. Add the dried rosemary, salt and pepper.

Serves 4

*********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Recently I read on Facebook that users of Old Spice deodorant has caused skin rashes in some of its users.

I can relate because I have really sensitive skin. I have to be very careful about the products that I use. A few years ago I started to make some small life style changes. I started eating more healthy and looking to switch to natural products for my skin care.

I tried a similar product to this recipe in July. I bought it at a farmer's market in Flower Mound Texas. The vendor was B2B Naturals and their website is B2BNaturals.com

I have to say this product worked much better than any commercial deodorant. It cut order and perspiration much better. I was really amazed since I did not expect it to work so well.

Similar products are available on Amazon, retaining for $10 to $15. At that price I wanted to try and make my own. If you do get a reaction to this recipe, try cutting the baking soda in half.

Also be careful about the essential oils you use in the recipe and make sure they are essential oils, not synthetic fragrances. I did two batches, one with peppermint and another that had tea tree and lavender.

Always do a skin patch test before you use the oil in any product. I will give you a few versions here including one that has no Shea butter.

Use a mason jar or glass bowl for this recipe. I used a pint size jar. Place the coconut oil and Shea butter in the glass jar. Place in a pot of water and heat the water to a low bowl. Once the butters are melted, remove from the heat and add the baking soda and arrowroot.

Add any essential oils and pour into a glass jar for storage. It may take several hours to harden and set. You can speed things up by putting in the refrigerator for a bit.

It does not need to be stored in the refrigerator. The coconut oil melts at 76 F so it will be hard in the winter and very soft in the summer. In the winter, you have to work it a bit in your hands before applying.

One last thing, I also sterilize the jar I use to both make and store the finished product. Immerse the jars in boiling water for a few minutes, remove and let dry.

Mix baking soda and arrowroot together in a medium bowl
Mash in coconut oil with a fork until well mixed. Add essential oils if using. Store in a small glass jar.

***************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

It would be the 2nd race in just a few days. I had done the Age Group open Sprint Triathlon in Cozumel as a PC Open athlete.

I did not have a great race, but it was good practice for the Aquathlon race. I knew doing two races so close together was a risk, but it really helped to have a chance to do a practice race.

I was easily able to do the 750 meter open water swim without a wet suit. So I was going into the race feeling relaxed and confident. I am not competitive as an age group athlete. I don't have to stress about being in top three. I can just relax and enjoy the experience.

Pre-Race
Another race meant another pre-dawn wake up call. This time I knew there was no parking. No worries, friend Cheryl Kearney had arrived in Cozumel after her husband Robert's Ironman Wisconsin race. She would be my driver.

While waiting for her in the lobby I noticed another American athlete and asked if he needed a ride to the race. Since his ride had not showed up, he took me up on my offer. Peter was from California and we had a nice visit talking about races and training. One of the best parts of going to event like this is all the great people I meet.

I got to transition and it was mass confusion. Transition is always a little busy. A race nerves can be even worse for a World Championship race. Again just wanting to finish and not worrying about placement helps me to stay calm. The ITU officials were not helping. We were provided small baskets to place our race gear. One offical came by and said everything had to be outside of the basket. Another came through and said everything had to be in the basket.

I put everything in my numbered basket and headed to the start line to chill out for the next two hours. I found some shade and sipped the water I had brought along. The men's elite race was about to start and Alastair Brownlee appeared mere feet from me doing his pre-race warm-ups. Brownlee is the reigning Men's Olympic Triathlon Gold Medalist.

He looked my way, nodded and smiled. I nodded back. Just one athlete to another. I got to watch as Brownlee beat out the American to claim the Aquathlon World Championship.

My group was in last wave. We split into two groups. The fast and serious athletes in the front and the rest of us in the back. We all agreed to have a good time and stay out of the way of the fast ladies. There were high five's all around.

Race
The race would be a 2.5 K run, followed by a 1000 meter open water swim with no wet suit followed by a 2.5 K run.

I was a little worried about how the race would flow. Every Aquathlon I have ever done has been a swim followed by a run.

The first run was hot and humid. I got into transition and the ITU official followed me and pointed to my basket and told me everything had to go in the basket. I complied and hurried out of transition to the swim.

Swim.
I loved the format because the field spread out in the first run. Usually the swim start is like a washing machine. There was no commotion making the swim really easy. The water was clear. I could see fish and coral on the bottom of the marina where we were swimming. I remember waving to a rescue diver sitting on the bottom under one of the race buoy's.

My friend told me I was in a group of about five athletes. I remember drafting for the first time in any race. Athletes have their age written on their calve. I could see she was in my age group. I was sure it was a race to stay out of last place. We traded the lead back and forth and I she was just ahead of me out of the water. This picture was taken at the swim exit and although I always look like hell coming out of the water, this picture really captures the moment.

Run 2
I got out of transition as quick as I could. I passed the other athlete and put her away on the run. The 2nd run was comfortable because it was short and I was wet, keeping me cool. My friend from work Mary Joy, called out my name from the sidelines. Her sprint race would be the next day.

Before I knew it I was headed down the ITU blue carpet to the finish. I was handed an American flag by the Team USA manager and I waved it proudly.

I finished 17th out of 19th in my age group, but it was a lots of fun. I am building my experience for World Championships. If I ever get to go to a World Championship as a paratriathlete I will be ready.

******************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

It is off season for me. A chance to rest from racing and intense training. It is a time to give my body a chance to recover and repair from injuries that build up over the season. Part of that recovery is eating really healthy food.

Today's recipe features an Asian inspired soup with turkey bone broth as the base. You can use chicken bone broth or stock. I made the broth base a month ago and froze it. The broth is simple to make. I roast turkey parts and then simmer with water and a little apple cider vinegar in a crock pot for about 24 hours. Bone broth is the latest foodie craze, It has been shown to have many health benefits.

When I want to make soup I take my broth out of the freezer and I have a great start on dinner. This recipe only took about 15 minutes to put together.

Put the broth in a stockpot and heat to a simmer. Add the onions and turkey. Add the curry, five spice powder and fish sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the egg noodles. Ladle soup into bowls and top with carrots and egg slices.

Serves 4

*****************************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Friday, November 18, 2016

I am starting my crafting for the holidays. I like to do at least some homemade gifts every year. My first project was a couple of different lip balms. They are super easy to make and really fast.

I got everything for the project on Amazon including the jars and labels for the finished project.
The first has lavender and tea tree essential oils. Both are safe on the skin and have properties that are thought to soothe the skin. You can use also use fragrance oils if they are cosmetic grade.

Put the oils and beeswax pellets in a glass measuring cup. I used a pyrex one with a handle. Place the measuring cup in a pan of water. I hook the handle on the side of the pan. Heat the water until everything melts, stirring occasionally. Take from the heat and stir in the essential oils. Pour into tins and allow to cool. Made 12, one ounce tins.

Put the oils and beeswax pellets in a glass measuring cup. I used a pyrex one with a handle. Place the measuring cup in a pan of water. I hook the handle on the side of the pan. Heat the water until everything melts, stirring occasionally. Take from the heat and stir in the essential oils. Pour into tins and allow to cool. Made 12, one ounce tins.

Be sure to keep an eye on the mixture the entire time it is on the stove. Happy gift giving.

********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I saw an announcement for an open triathlon in Cozumel to kick off a week of racing at the ITU World Championship.

There was no qualification for the race, unlike all the other events for the week. There would also be a chance to race as a physically challenged athlete. I thought was important to make the case for greater acceptance of athletes with conditions like CMT. I had not raced as a PC athlete all season because the local races I did were not USAT sanctioned.

Looking back maybe it was not such a good idea to do this race. The logistics of any away race are always a challenge. I always debate whether to take my bike or rent. I was arriving on Saturday afternoon and would be racing the next day. The timing was just too tight to put together a bike or get it to a shop to be put together.

I arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon. By the time I cleared customs it was 4 pm. Just my luck that the rental car place I picked was a 1/4 mile walk in the heat away from the airport. The only cars they had were manual transmission. I had not driven a stick shift in 2 years. That made for a bit of an interesting drive as I stalled the car several times.

I had until 8 pm to get to packet pick up in the town center. Since my resort was on the north end of the island, I decided to stop on my way. I could not find a parking spot on the narrow streets. I could see the outdoor expo but was afraid to just park on any street.

So I got to the resort, dropped my stuff off in my room and immediately went back to the lobby to catch a cab into town.

I was able to quickly get my packet after going through 3 different lines, get back in a cab and get back to the resort. I was now almost 7 pm and I still had to get my bike delivered for race day.

We connected and he switched out the pedals right in the lobby. Thankfully the seat seemed about the right height because the bike owner did not seem inclined to customize it at all.

So now it is almost 8 pm and I had not eaten anything since breakfast. I am hot and tired. I had dinner at the buffet and headed back to my room. I stayed at Iberostar which was a beautiful resort.

The rooms were set up as four to a building all scattered around a garden like setting. Beautiful but a bit hard to find my building in the dark. I had to ask a couple of people to give me directions.

I never sleep well before race day and this was no different. I know I was a bit nervous about the swim. It would not be wet suit legal. The swim was 750 meters. I had only done that distance once in a race without a wetsuit.

Since I did not sleep well I thought I might as well get up at 3:30 am and get ready for the race. I had not seen the turn off for the race any of times I was back and forth from town. I was worried about not finding the race.

The hotel told me if I stayed on the secondary road I would see the turn. The secondary road is the old road and parallels the new main road. As I drove it I saw signs every few miles of a car with a big red X. The road is now used as a bike path and just to access the resorts.

I was scared to death of getting caught by the police but kept going. After about 20 minutes I saw lots of traffic and the well lit area that would serve as transition. A police officer stopped me at the entrance to the marina that would serve as the race venue. He informed me there was no parking.

I could not believe it. No mention in any of the race or athlete guides. So it was another 20 minute drive back to the hotel. Then frantically I asked the front desk if they could help me. There were lots of taxis waiting for the athletes and one was big enough to fit my bike. Twenty minutes and $20 later I arrived at the same spot I had been stopped. Good thing I had emergency money on me.

So I got to transition to set up. It was on the parking lot that had huge stones the size of quarters. There was blue carpet down the middle, the area right next to the racks was all large stones.

I could not find my race number anywhere on the racks. I was directed to resolution table and was informed I did not have a helmet number. There was not one in my race packet. We got both of those problems sorted out.

There were two races that day, an Olympic distance first and then the sprint distance which I was doing. I was in the very last wave of the sprint. The first race started at 7 am and my race did not start until 9:40.

Most races have a list of waves and wave times posted at the start, not this race. The waves were announced in Spanish. Lots of people kept asking me when I was starting because they were confused. I just kept telling them I was in the last wave.

I just tried to find some shade and relax. I had a great time hanging out and talking to the other athletes. One of the spouses gave me some food because I mentioned I was hungry. There was not water out and I think I was getting dehydrated because I was getting dizzy. When the first race started official brought out some water for the other athletes. It came in these little plastic pouches that you had to break open.

Finally the last waves in the sprint race lined up just as I was wondering why I was even doing the race. There were three of us in the PC race. I had a nice chat with the other female athlete. She was from Mexico and had won the PC Open race in her category in Chicago.

The women in the 55 and older group were lined up ahead of me. One of them started talking with me and asked why I was racing the PC race. Suddenly I remembered why I was racing because I got a chance to talk with her about CMT.

I only saw the other PC athletes at the swim start. They were much faster than me. I thought the swim was going well. The water was warm and so clear I could see the bottom. I saw bits of coral and tropical fish.

The nice thing about racing PC is they watch you a bit more closely. Sometimes that is a two edge sword. I thought I was swimming well. I was catching swimmers in earlier waves. Suddenly one of the kayak guards pulled in front of me and called out "Are you OK?" I said "Yes, Now get out of my way". Another kayak guard near by hearing the exchange was laughing like crazy. I turned to him and asked; " Do I look like I am drowning? Now get out of my way." The rest of the swim was uneventful. I was able do the 750 meter swim easily.

The bike course would be a bit of a challenge as well. It would be my first race on a tri bike. I had rented one for a weekend the week before the race. I was not sure if my CMT would affect my ability to use a tri bike. The bike course went well. I did see athletes drafting which is cheating.

Using a tri bike I felt like a real triathlete and made for a great race picture.

The run did not go as well. I got directed onto the 10 K course and did not realize it right away. It was so hot and humid I walked a bit. I finished the race in 1 hr 51 minutes.

A spectator asked to take my picture at the finish line because I was wearing my Team USA uniform. He was taking picture of everyone wearing the uniform since he was an American living in Cozumel and a triathlete. I felt like a rock star. Good things always happen when I wear the Team USA colors!

I learned later that evening that I had been listed as disqualified. They had me listed in with the Olympic athletes. That is why there was not a number for me on the rack in the sprint area and why I was directed to the 10 K course. It took me more than a month to get the race organizers to fix the results. Because of that I did not get my 2nd place medal.

Still it was a good experience and I am glad I did it. The race helped me to prepare for the ITU World Championship race I would do just a few days later. Like most things I worry about, the realty is allot worse than my fears. The swim and the bike both went well. Even though doing a race the day after arrival was stressful and had some challenges it was all worth it.

****************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
represented Team USA at the
Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in
2015 and will represent the US
at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 207 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France, Poland,Iran and Sweden. If you wish to join us
visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.